Walking across Flora Field (arable section) this morning during the volunteering session I flushed a large group of snipe (at least 6, probably 8-10) from the lower northern slope, towards Lower Sowerholme, and then a further 2 nearer Pony Wood. They must have been tucking into small creatures in the recently-spread manure. I was headed for the beetle banks and the water supply points, which needed marking with tape to alert the ploughing contractor, so I certainly didn’t cover the whole field. Maybe next season the flush count needs to include Flora Field as well as the wet areas, at least after the muck has been spread?

It was a very misty morning with low cloud and low visibility, but we heard geese passing over – greylag I think- and several curlews in the distance, down towards the estuary.

Whilst marking out the beetle banks ready for the ploughman yesterday I put up a snipe from the marshy area alongside Aldcliffe Road and then disturbed a brown hare which ran off across the Flora Field.

On my way home a song thrush was serenading the Orchard from the trees by the Towneley Close entrance.